Motion-picture machine.



P. J. WALSH.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET] n. MM W4 ew U A E RD UE u CF HR 0 I M TM 0L w P. I.WALSH.

MOTION PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4,1915.

Patented Mar. 7,1916.

2 SHEETS -SHEET 2. k6)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PATRICK J. WALSH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTION-PICTURE MACHINE.

Application filed August 4, 1915.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. WALSH, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Motion- Picturelvlachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to motion-picture machines, and more particularlyto portable apparatus, designed especially for homes, schools and smallauditoriums where the present large commercial machines would be tooexpensive, or there are no facilities for operating the larger machines.

The object of the present invention is to provide a machine of thischaracter which can be so cheaply manufactured that the sale-price mightbe within the means of the ordinary household, and which willnevertheless project pictures from standard-sized films in a good clearmanner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a motion-picture machinein which ordinary magic-lantern slides can be used in the usual way.

Some of the many applications of the machine of this invention will beapparent from a full understanding thereof, but as shown in one of theforms illustrated in the accompanying drawing, to which reference willbe presently made, the device is especially suitable for advertisingpurposes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates one form which themachine may assume, the parts being considerably reduced forconvenience; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the center of themachine; Fig. 3 is a front view of the apparatus. the hingedfront-plates being shown in their open positions by the dotted lines;Fig-,4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the machine asespecially adapted for advertis ing and similar purposes; Fig. 4: is aplan view of the filmguide (and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of theframing-plate.

As illustrated in the drawings. the machine comprises a lamp-box 1.having a suitable base 2 and a tightly-fitting cover 3. Upon the base 2is secured a lamp-socket 4, having terminals 5 through which theincandescent lamp 6 receives current from a suitable source. The currentmay be supplied from an ordinary lamp-socket and brought into thelamp-box 1 by an insulated conductor I, or'it may be supplied from drySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented D131. 7, 1916.

Serial No. 43,558.

cells or other storage batteries when there 13 no supply of electricityfrom another source. The rear of the lamp-box 1 is pro vided with aparabolic reflector 8, the latter having a threaded stud passing throughan aperture in the lamp-box. The reflector is held against'the inside ofthe wall by a knurled nut which engages the threads of the stud.

Secured to the forward part of the base 2, at a distance from thelamp-box 1, is a vertical frame 9, U-shaped in horizontal section alongits lower portion, for strength and stability, and a lens-tube 10connects the lamp-box land the frame 9 along the focal axis of thereflector 8, suitable apertures 11 and 12 in the lamp-box and frame,respectively, being provided to accommodate the tube. In the lens-tube10, at its innermost end, there is a removable convex lens 18.

In the right-hand angle of the Ushaped frame 9 there is rigidly secureda vertical, tubular post 11, within which is slidably mounted afllm-reelcarrying rod 15, said reel being indicated by the numeral 16 inthe drawings. and the film by the numeral 17. The upper end' of the rod15 is bent to form a bearing for the reel 16, and the outer end of thebend may be slightly upset to retain the reel in position.

A door or plate 18, positioned adjacent and in front of the frame 9, hasone of its ends 19 bent around the tubular post 14 to form a hinge. sothat the same may be swung open into the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3, to enable the operator to insert the end of the film 17between this hingedplate and the frame 9. the latter preferably having avertical depression to accommodate the film, and the hinged-plate havinga corresponding offset portion to maintain the film in proper positionin such depression during its travel. The door 18. which has a circularopening registering with the opening 1'2 of the frame 9, has aforwardly-extcnding offset portion 19', which forms a guideway for theordinary magic-lantern slides. and extending still further forward fromthis offset 19 there is a fixed tubular lens-carrier 20. The carrier 20removably supports the outer sleeve 21 of an ordinary two-parttelescoping magic-lantern lens. the inner member thereof being indicatedat 22 in the drawings. Each of these telescoping lens-tubes carries aconvex lens 23, Ql, such proper focus of the light andpictl res beingsecured by adjustment of the member 22 within the member 21, or themember 21 within the-carrier 20, or both. The plate or door 18 may besecured in its closed position by a suitable spring-latch 25 whichengages a latch-plate 26 struck from the side or wing of the U-shapedframe 9.

Journaled inthe sides of the frame 9 there is a cross-shaft 27, carryingat one end a crank-arm 28 and a handle 29 whereby the shaft can berotated. A circular rack 30 is secured to the shaft 27 and rotatestherewith when the handle 29 is turned, this rack engaginga small pinion31 secured on a second cross-shaft 32. The opposite end of the shaft 32carries a small flywheel 33, and the shaft is journaled in the sides 0the U-shaped frame 9.

A third cross-shaft 34 has its journals in l the sides of the frame 9,and carriesa sprocket-drum 35, the. latter projecting through an openingin the depressed'frontplate of the frame 9 to'engage the usualperforations in the film. Intermittent rotation is imparted to thesprocket-drum 35 by means of the well-known Geneva-movement, the end ofthe shaft 34 nearer the flywheel 33 having a four-point star-wheel 36moved through a quarter ofa revolution upon each complete turn of theshaft 32 by means of a pin 37 secured at the point of a heart-shapedplate 38, which plate is fixed on shaft 32. i

Hinged -to the tubular post 14, like the door 18 and below the same,there is a plate 39, carrying in its lower portion atransversely-extending idle roll 40 journaled in said plate. This I dooror plate may be opened like the door or plate 18 to insert the film,andwhen closed, in which position it is maintained by a suitablespring-latch 41, serves .to maintain the film in proper position andalinement in the depression in the frame 9. h

A suitable framing-plate 42, shown in front view in Fig. 5, ispreferably inserted in the depression of the frame-9, the film passingover the outside thereof and between it and the hinged-plate 18. Iheupper end of the framing-plate is bent back upon itself to form aconvenient lifting-bead along its top edge, and a hanging-flange 43arranged to fit snugly over thevtop edge of the frame 9, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2. When the apparatus is to be used as a magiclantern, theframing-plate 42 is removed.

When the motion-picture machine is to be used foradvertising oranalogous purposes, the parts are arranged as shown in Fig. 4. Anendless film 17, the pictures of which are tobe shown repeatedly, isused, the portion of the film already exhibited being guided through asuitable removable springwire or other guide 44, and thus maintainedaway from the front of the lens 24. By using a relatively longreel-supporting rod- 15, and securing it in a predetermined position bymeans of the set-screw 45, films several feet in length may be shownover and over again, the shaft 27 and the circular rack 30 beingpreferably operated by a suitable motor, not shown.

The operation of the machine should be apparent fromtthe drawings inconnection with the foregoing description, but may be briefly givenhere.

WVhen the machine is to be used as a magic-lantern, the arrangement isas shown in Fig. 2, and pictures Will be projected onto a screen in theordinary manner from a magic lantern slide passed I transversely throughthe open-ended passage of the offset 19'. In using the apparatus as amotionpicture machine, reel-supporting rod 15 is slid into the tubularpost 14, and secured in position by the set-screw 45'. The fronthinged-plates 18 and 39 are opened, and the end-of the film 17, which,as before stated, is ofstandard .size, is inserted in the depression ofthe frame 9, over the framing-plate 42, and the apertures along the edgethereof placed over the two sets of teeth of the Sprocket-drum 35. Incase an endless film is to be used, as shownin Fig. 4, any portion ofthe same may be inserted in the frame, and the loose returning portionis inserted in the guide 44, to prevent its interfering with theprojection of the pictures by getting .in front of the lens-tube 22.Upon rotation of the handle 29, as will be readily understood, thestar-wheel 36 and therefore the sprocket-drum 35 will beintermittentlymoved through a distance corresponding to the height of.on e picture or exposure 'of the film, with a very quick motion, theidle-roll 40 of the hinged-plate 39, which is of course closed, servingto maintain the used portion of the film smooth as it passes over thesprocketedrum 35. Proper focus may be obtained by shifting the lens-tube22 within its counterpart 2l.'

If desired, a secondreel-supportmay be provided to take up the film asused.

It has been found in using this machine, that with a good reflector anda properly chosen metallic-filament lamp, good clear pictures may beobtained, and this with minimum of flickering, although no shutter, suchas is necessary in the ordinary motion picture machine, is required. Byplacing the lens 13 between the source of light and the film, asillustrated, all danger of the films catching,fire is eliminated, therays of light transmitted through the tube 10 onto the film beingsubstantially parallel.

I claim 1. In a motion-picture machine, a lamp, a film-carrying frame, alens-housing between said lamp and said frame, a lens in said housing, aplate hinged over the front of said frame, and a pair of relativelyadjustable lenses carried by said hinged-plate.

2. In a motion-picture machine, a lampbox, a film-carrying frame, alens-tube connecting said lamp-box and said frame, a lens in said tube,a plate hinged over the front of said frame, and a pair of telescopinglenstubes mounted in said hinged-plate.

3. In a motion-picture machine, a lampbox, a film-carrying frame. alens-tube con necting said lamp-box and said frame, a lens in said tube,a plate hinged over the front of said frame, a tubular offset portion onthe front of said hingedplate, and a pair of telescoping lens-tubes, oneof the members t iereof being adjustably mounted in said tubular offsetportion.

4. In a combined motion-picture machine and magic-lantern, a lamp-box, afilm-carrying frame, a lens-tube connecting said lampbox and said frame,a lens in said tube, a hinged-plate over the front of said frame. anopen-sided offset portion on the front of said hinged-plate providing apassageway for magic-lantern slides, a tubular extension on said offsetportion, and a pair of telescoping lens-tubes. one of the membersthereof being adjustably mounted in said tubular extension.

5. In a combined motion-picture machine and niagicdantern, a lamp-box, afilm carrying frame having a vertical depression in its front face, alens-tube connecting said lampbox and said frame, a lens in said tube, aframing-plate in said depression but removable for exhibitingmagic-lantern slides, a hinged-plate over the front of said frame, anopensided offset portion on the front of said hinged-plate providing apassageway for magiclantern slides, a tubular extension on said offsetportion, and a pair of telescoping lens-tubes, one of the anembersthereof being adjustablv mounted in said tubular extension.

(3. In a motion-picture machine, a lampbox, a film-carrying frameapproximately U-shaped in horizontal section, a lenstube connecting saidlampbox and said frame, a lens in said tube, a plate hinged over thefront of said frame, a pair of telescoping lens-tubes adjustably mountedin said hinged-plate, a cross-shaft journaled in the sides of theU-shaped frame, a sprocketdrum on said shaft projecting through anopening in the front of said frame to engage the film, a secondhingedplate on the frame adjacent the front of said sprocket-drum, anidle-roll in said hinged-plate, and means for imparting a quickintermittent movement to said sprocket-drum.

7. In a motion-picture machine, a lampbox, a film-carrying frameapproximately Ushaped in horizontal section, a lens-tube connecting saidlamp-box and said frame, a tubular post in one of the angles of saidU-shaped frame, a rod adjustably secured in said post, a reel carriedloosely on said rod, an endless film carried by said reel, a filmguideremovably secured'to one side of said frame, a plate over the face ofsaid frame hinged about said tubular post, and telescoping lens-tubesmounted in said hinged-plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

PATRICK J. IVALSH.

I'Vitnesses:

MARY C. MULLEN, J. HARRY BEAN.

